In light of today's revelations, a Democratic lawmaker has called for a federal criminal investigation of the traffic-snarling local access lane closures at the George Washington Bridge last September.

State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) called on the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey to convene a federal grand jury looking into whether there was any criminal abuse of power related to the Sept. 9-13 lane closures, after an email exchange suggested that the governor's deputy chief of staff knew of the closures a month ahead of time, and that they would clog local streets.

"There’s certainly reasonable suspicion that criminal acts occurred," said Lesniak, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee whose district includes several Port Authority facilities.

Asked to specify any such crimes might include, Lesiak said: “Abusing governmental authority for political purposes, for political gain.”

An Aug. 13 email exchange among documents obtained by The Star-Ledger included a message from Deputy Chief of Staff Bridget Anne Kelly that stated: "Time for some traffic problems in Fort Lee. The 7:34 a.m. message, sent from Kelly's personal Yahoo account, was directed to David Wildstein, a former Port Authority official placed at the agency by Christie, who later ordered the bridge manager to carry out the closures.

Democratic lawmakers and some registered Republicans suspect the closures were ordered in retaliation for Fort Lee Mayor Mark Sokolich's refusal to endorse Christie's re-election bid. Former Port Authority Deputy Director Bill Baroni said before he resigned amid the growing Bridgegate scandal last month that the closures were for a traffic study.

Wildstein, who resigned a week before Baroni, has been subpoenaed to testify at a legislative hearing on the matter on Thursday in Trenton.

Lesniak said New Jersey's top federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman, not Acting State Attorney General John Jay Hoffman, should look into the closures because Christie appointed Hoffman.

“No disrepect to the state attorney general’s office, but there’s an obvious conflict of interest there,” Lesniak said.